This Summer, we returned to Castle Pill Woods. For us, it is just a short walk from my mums house, but if you’re visiting Pembrokeshire you can follow these directions for a circular walk including Milford Marina, Castle Pill and Blackbridge.
It is a very pretty place and regular readers know that we visit here all through the year, even in the middle of Winter. The circular route also makes a great walk for my mum’s dog Toby. He doesn’t like to come down with us when we go for the day though as he tends to get bored once we stop walking! There are some wood sculptures and shelters in the woodlands too which make this a beautiful place to visit.
As all woodlands do, it looks very different each time we visit. Sadly the pond has been “dammed” as a tunnel has collapsed. This fish sculpture which used to leap happily from the pond water is now literally a fish out of water. The pond is now grass and weeds.
Above the tunnel used to be a path which we used to walk along to get to the second woodland shelter.
As this was Jo’s first walk to the woods post stroke, we deliberately travelled light. It was also lovely to no longer carry Izzy in a baby carrier or drag a buggy along the narrow paths as I did once before. However, this meant we didn’t light a fire or cook food. Izzy enjoyed pretending to make her own fire on the fire pit instead. She then helped a fairy and was rewarded with fairy dust. I would love to live in her imagination one day!
She also gifted me a fragile mushroom, for which I was very grateful of course.
Despite it not being the warmest of days, the kids had their shoes off straight away to paddle in the stream.
They also had fun playing on the rope swing. There were a few fallouts about turn taking on the swings (sigh) but eventually it was all sorted out and peace was restored (as much peace as possible with five kids playing anyway!).
There was also the usual nature and bug spotting. This impressive black beetle took a liking to Caitlyn. It crawled up her arm and looked like a very realistic, three dimensional tattoo on her upper arm at one point! Look at those grubby hands too! We did leave some mud in the woods, I promise.
Then it was time to walk home – always leave enough energy for this! We love to come down here and sit around a camp fire after dark, but I admit that even I had the heebie jeebies the night we walked back just after telling lots ot campfire ghost stories! It was pitch black and the torch light just didn’t seem to cut it. Thankfully, this time we walked back during daylight. I felt so proud of Jo, seeing her reach yet another goal.
We will definitely be back soon for a campfire and a bowl of soup!
Watch the video to see more:
What a lovely place to explore. Love the photos of your children paddling in the stream and having fun on the rope swing. That black beetle is quite impressive – I'm not sure I'd have been brave enough to hold him though! 🙂
Thanks- I was happier taking the photo than holding him! x
Ah, this is just the sort of place that we love. We're just back from camping in a forest for three days, just the best! Love the look of that swing and the shelter is lovely x #countrykids
That sounds lovely- we love camping too x
Looks like a lovely place to explore. It's made me fancy paddling in a stream now! #Countrykids
Yes, I love it- cools the feet! x
Wonderful to see the changes in the seasons and how the fish now appears out of water! Love the rope swing, it has reminded me we need a new one here. Thank you for sharing a wonderful woodland adventure on Country Kids.
Oh, a new rope swing will be lovely. I wish we had land and trees x
Looks like a wonderful place to explore.
Thanks x
It so good to get outside exploring. It looks a great place to visit x
Yes, good for the soul x
Looks like a great wood to visit, Monkey would love paddling in the stream 🙂 and love the grass roofed shelter #CountryKids
Oh, yes, he sure would x
i used to walk there a lot! it's a good length walk isn't it 🙂 haha ..and the amount of times i went out a bit later and forgot a torch, and had to walk in pitch black! and ditto with walking down by the priory and that path leading to tesco way. was afraid i was going to fall of into the water so many times.
Oh wow, we could have passed each other in the woods. Yeah, in the dark you can hear the water but not see it. lol x
That looks like an amazing place to go exploring! I love the graze covered shelter, how unusual! That beetle is HUGE! Lovely pictures. x
Yes, it was a good sized beetle lol x
Gorgeous pictures and I loved the video. Wales has some really beautiful hidden gems to explore, x
Thank you- it certainly does x
This place looks gorgeous! I do love a good walk in the woodland, and like you say, how amazing would it be to live inside their imaginations for a day! That black beetle was fab! x
Yes, it would be amazing! Yes, it was a good sized beetle lol x
Great place to explore. Bit far from our neck of the woods though (Cardiff) for a day out. I imagine it's not too far from Bluestone though?
Yes, half an hour from Bluestone x
We MUST do this walk! I have never heard of it before, but we visit the Marina often. Gorgeous photos. Kaz x
Yes, it's not well known. Click the link to see the map from the Marina. Would be a nice walk for you all x
Wow amazing pics! You're quite the photographer. It looks great! x
Thank you! It's a lovely place x
Ooh this is a new one on me! Looks like a lovely place to explore. Must plan a visit there 🙂
Yes, it's a good walk x
It looks great! We love places like this and Cherry is obsessed with bugs at the moment so would have loved that beetle 🙂 x
Thanks. It's great when they love bugs! x
It looks like such a lovely place! Your family always seem to have so much fun 🙂 Well done to your sister, it must be lovely watching her progress.
Thanks! Yes, she keeps pushing herself and that's good xxx
Lovely to see your kids enjoying so much nature, it's fab. Love that beetle! x
Yes, it's lovely. Thanks- I had taken some photos of a smaller one earlier but then I saw her with that big beetle- mine didn't compare! lol x